Beginners 101 - What to Look for in a 4K Gaming Monitor
The market is packed with lots of 4K gaming monitors, so much so that it can be difficult to know what to pick or even what to look for in a 4k monitor. This can be a daunting task, especially for newbies.
When it comes to buying a 4K monitor, it’s best to exercise caution and find out all the information that you need to before making an investment. To put it simply, you should focus on your budget and requirements while looking for your monitor which is why we’re here to help you make your final selection easier.
Our article today will give you ideas on what you should look for in a 4K gaming monitor. From here, you can better determine which product you should go for despite the plethora of choices available.
Monitor Size and Screen Type
For a 4K gaming monitor, you should check out its screen type and the size of the monitor. Most commonly, gamers often opt for a screen size between 27 inches and 32 inches, however you can always go smaller or bigger should you choose.
It is important to remember that the larger the screen size that you go for, the beefier the gaming PC will need to be in order to game in 4K. When choosing a monitor's screen size you should also remember that not every application can scale perfectly to larger screens such as an ultra-wide monitor.
If you want to get a 4K monitor, ensure that the games and apps you want can handle the scaling needed and ensure that your graphics card can handle the requirements needed to fully utilize the monitor.
You must look for the appropriate panel type when scouting for a 4K gaming monitor. When looking deeper into the market, two terms will can cause a bit of confusion for gamers. These are TN Panels, VA Panels and IPS Panels.
TN Panel
These are often the most common panel types chosen by gamers due to their affordable price and good performance.
The TN Panels give you a fast response times and high refresh rates but there will be a bit of a compromise on the images colour accuracy. You will also have limited viewing angles as well.
TN panels are a fantastic choice for a lot of gamers as they are more accessible by those that have a tighter budget whilst still offering a great gaming experience.
IPS Panels
The IPS Panels enhances your monitor’s performance when it comes to colour reproduction and sharpness of images. If you’re a gamer to values eye popping image quality or someone who loves watching movies or productivity including video production etc., this may be the choice for you.
The cost of all that amazing image quality is that IPS panels offer slower response times when it comes to gaming. For a lot of gamers, this won’t be an issue, but if you’re a competitive gamer or someone that wants to squeeze every bit of advantage out of CS:GO you may be better suited to a TN panel.
There are some IPS 4K gaming monitors out there, such as the AORUS FI32U, that offers an IPS panel along with great response times so always make sure you do your research when looking at IPS panels.
VA Panels
VA Panels offer a solid choice, sitting pretty much in the middle of TN and IPS panels. VA panels offer higher refresh rates compared to IPS panels whilst retaining some of the colour accuracy that IPS is known for.
This leads to some fantastic gaming thanks to the higher refresh rates and the vibrant colours, however VA panels struggle a bit with response times. VA traditionally offers the slowest response times which can be a concern for any fast pace gaming.
HDMI 2.1 – The Next Step for Console Gaming
The latest addition coming to displays is that of HDMI 2.1. When using the HDMI 2.1, it allows video cables to send data faster, allowing for higher graphics to be passed through.
HDMI 2.1 is the current standard to use when hooking your PS5 or Xbox to your 4K monitor.
Why Is It Important for Gaming?
The HDMI 2.1 is vital for gaming since it lets you enjoy quicker refresh rates and higher graphics quality when gaming. It comes with 8K video resolutions at 60 fps, as well as 4K at 120 fps.
The latest specification for HDMI has actually been around for some time however, the latest devices are only beginning to support it. HDMI 2.1 provides you with noticeable improvements over the previous HDMI specifications.
HDMI 2.1 is definitely a game changer when it comes to gaming. Because of how it sends more data from gaming consoles it allows game developers to boost the refresh rates and resolution of the games that they produce.
This all leads to giving you top-quality images and eye-catching games for your enjoyment.
Why Is It Important for Gaming Monitors to Use HDMI 2.1?
If you are an avid gamer, especially a console gamer, it’s a good idea to try and find a gaming monitor that supports HDMI 2.1. This will give you a bit of future proofing moving forward and allows you to take advantage of the latest advancements in games.
Since HDMI 2.1 decreases the need for DSC (display stream compression) or dithering you can play with uncompressed and full image quality which is essential for HDR titles.
HDMI 2.1 also allows variable refresh rates or VRR. This keeps your games running and looking smooth when increasing the refresh rates for enhanced on screen viewing. Stuttering, lags, and even frame tearing will be reduced when using it.
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Response Time – Why It Matters
Ensuring that you get a 4K monitor with a low response time is critical when you're gaming. It can affect your gaming performance, especially when you're landing a long-range sniper shot or winning the battle royale.
Monitors are better when they have low response times as this means less time will be used for pixels to shift from one shade to another. It reduces delays that cause ghosting or blurs.
Adding a quick response time of 3 millisecond or less paired together with a minimum of 120Hz refresh rate will give you some of the best gaming at a 4K resolution.
Provided your graphics card can handle 4K gaming, as gaming monitor with these specifications will provide you with a buttery smooth 4K gaming experience. Once again, it is important to ensure that your gaming PC has the hardware needed, such as the AORUS GeForce RTX 3080 MASTER 10G, to power your 4K games.
Why Does HDR Matter?
You have most likely come across HDR or high dynamic range during your time spent gaming. If you haven’t, it’s basically a game-changer for a lot of monitors to give you more life-like and richer images.
HDR is a monitor's capability to exhibit a wider contrast ratio and colour. To put it simply, the display can provide richer, more attractive and vibrant colours so images appear more realistic.
WCG or wide colour gamut is utilised by HDR. Technically, it’s a way to say that the display can show off more colours.
Here’s an example to better visualise it: with WCG, additional green shades will be visible when plants are displayed on-screen. The HDR will then work with it, resulting in a plant that has colours appearing more life-like.
Of course, even the best monitors with HDR display still can’t show all the colours that your eyes can see. Despite that, you can still consider it as a noticeably good upgrade from standard dynamic range monitors.
At the end of the day, the most important thing when purchasing a 4K gaming monitor is to be conscious of your budget and be realistic about what features you can get with your budget.
Choosing the right gaming monitor is critical as it directly impacts on what kind of gaming experience you will have. Keep an eye out on the key features that you should look for and stick with a reputable brand that knows about gaming.
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